Collapsible tube handling apparatus



Oct. 23, 1951 E. LEHMANN COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet l EXTRUDING PRESS T R I M M ER EXTRUDING mass INVENTOR. .fM/A Zf/MM A A/ BY TRFMMER E. LEHMANN COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HANDLING APPARATUS Oct. 23, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1947 INVENTOR.

BY 514/4 Z EHMA /V/V Ti z.

ATTOE/VE) Oct. 23, 1951 E, LEHMANN 2,572,164

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1947 7 Sheets-Shet 5 ""llllll llh E I l J j INVEN TOR.

[Am [Be MA /v/v A TTOZ/VEV Oct. 23, 1951 E. LEHMANN 2,572,154

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HANDLING APPARATUS 'Filed June 28, 1947 '7 sneets-shet' 4 uvmvron. fM/Z. [ff/MA /v/v azu amwzw ATTORNFY Oct. 23, 1951 E. LEHMANN 2,572,164

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 llll/ 69 Oct. 23, 1951 LEHMANN COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HANDLING APPARATUS '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 28, 1947 lllllllll Illl HIHHHH llllllHllll\ Hlllll Ill lllllllllll lll lllH HIIHHHII IHHIIHI llll INVENTOR.

A TTOE/VZY Oct. 23, 1951 LEHMANN 2,572,164

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 a I Ti 1 E H 1 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 23, 1951 COLLAPSIBLE TUBE HANDLING APPARATUS Emil Lehmann, West Englewoo'd, N. J assignor to White Metal Manufacturing Company, Ho-

boken, N. J.

Application June 28, 1947, Serial No. 757,815

9 Claims. 1

My present invention relates to apparatus for handling collapsible tubes and more particularly in annealing tubes such as those made of aluminum.

When aluminum is extruded into collapsible tubes it becomes hard and stiff and therefore requires subsequent softening or annealin to give it the properties required ina collapsible tube. The walls of the extruded tubes are, however, thin and correspondingly fragile and are not suited to withstand stresses applied either radially or longitudinally.

In my present invention the tubes to be annealed are placed on upright pins or rods mounted at spaced intervals on an endless chain which passes below an annealing furnace having slots through which the passing rods project. The

tubes suspended individually on the upper ends of the rods are thereby carried to and through the furnace.

As the tubes are extruded they are fed by the extruding means through a chute Which brings them to a horizonal position and must be turned to a vertical position to be placed on the chain rods.

For this purpose the tubes are carried by an endless belt from the chute to a funnel, the up-- per end of which is elongated horizontally to receive a tube in its horizontal position and which contains a tripping bar positioned transversely below the tube near its shoulder end so that the lower open end turns downwardly to upright position as the tube falls through the chute. Each tube is then received in one of a series of receivers mounted on a turn table which is moved in timed synchronism with the chain to bring each tube immediately over a supporting rod and to drop it onto therod. Thisplaces the tube in position to enter the annealing oven.

After the tubes have passed through the annealing oven it is necessary to return them to their horizontal position. For this purpose each supporting rod is provided with a supporting collar on which loosely rests a perforated disk or washer. .After emerging from the annealing oven or furnace the upright rods or postsof the chain pass between a pair of inclines so positioned that as the chain progresses the perforated disk or washer rests on the incline and is elevated upwardly relatively to the chain and the tube until the lower end of the tube is near the upper end of its respective rod. At this point a jet or blast of air directed at the tube blows it sidewise and inverts it downwardly to fall into a funnel' and guide chute-which brings it" to" a horizontal position and passes it on a conveyor for transfer onto a, trimming machine.

Various features of the invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the apparatus showing the relative positions of the extruding press, annealing oven and trimming machine;

Fig. 2 is a side view of a conveyor mechanism leading from the extruding machine;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a part of the conveyor mechanism on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a ratchet device for driving the turn table intermittently;

Fig. 6 is an elevation view of the apparatus for turning the tube and delivering it to the turn table;

Fig. '7 is a view of the mechanism on the line of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the funnel of Figs. 6 and 7 Fig. 9 is a side view of the turn table and a portion of the conveyor chain and of the drive for the turn table;

Fig. 10 is a, sectional view of the turn table taken on line I0l 0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is an elevation of the incline and mechanism for removing the tubes from the conveyor chain after annealing;

Fig. 12 is an elevation taken at right angles to that of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a vertical section taken on the line I3-I3 ofFig. l1;

Fig. 14 is a vertical section taken on the line I4l4 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 15 is a side elevation, and Fig. 16 is a plan of apart of a conveyor mechanismleading to the trimming machine.

In the embodiment shownin the accompanying drawing, tubes 20 formed in an extruding press, shown at 2|, slide in succession neck foremost down a chute 22, the lower end .of which is substantially horizontal and in line with the upper surface of an endless belt 23Vpassing about pu11eys24 and 25 and provided withcrosswise cleats 26.

The belt 23 is timed relative to theextruding machine 2! so that a tube will slide down the chute 22 and onto the belt 23 between a pair of successive cleats and will, therefore, rest on the cleats.

Immediately below the upper end of the belt 23 as it passes about the pulley 25 is an inclined plate 2'1, Figs. 2 and 3, the upper end of which intersects or is tangent to the periphery of the belt 23 so as to receive the tubes 25 as they pass over the pulley 25.

At the lower end of the plate 21 is a second conveyor belt 28 supported about three spaced pulleys 29, 3D and 3! and provided with crosswise cleats 32. The plate 21 has suitable cut outs 33 and 34 at its upper and lower ends respective-- ly to permit the passage of cleats 25 and 32.

The conveyor belt 28 carries the tubes upwardly and over the upper pulley 30 to a receiving plate 35. The belts are driven from'a'sprocket 36 on the extruding machine 2| and a chain 31 trained over a sprocket 38 fixed on a shaft 39 on which the pulley 25 is mounted. The pulley 29 is driven from the shaft 39 by means of a'sprocket and chain drive 40 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The drive is so proportioned that the cleats of the belts will move at thesame time intervals depositing a tube from each cleat of the belt 23 onto a cleat of thebelt 28. The tubes are accordingly placed in timed succession for deposit on the plate 35. The tubes are positioned on the belts with their tops or necks aligned by means of a spring 4| which presses them lightly against a horizontal guide 42 immediately above or near one edge of the conveyor belt 23.

The tubes may also be lightly pressed onto the belt 23 by means of a horizontal spring 43' extending immediately above the belt. The tubes are, therefore, delivered onto the plate 21 and to plate 35 in correctly aligned position. As each tube is deposited on the plate 35 it rolls downwardly under a light guide leaf 44 so spaced as to prevent any piling up of the tubes.

At the lower end of the plate 35 the tube rolls into the upper end of an elongated funnel 45 having a downwardly extending spout or chute 46 of cylindrical cross section. As the tube enters the upwardly elongated or flaring end of the funnel 45 it is supported near its shou der end by a trip bar 4's which holds this end from falling while permitting the lower end to turn downwardly, as indicated in Fig. 7, until the tube has attained approximately upright pos tion. ther upon the tube falls downwardly throu h the chute 45 into one of a series of cylindri al receivers 43 mounted on a turn table 49 about a central hollow stationary shaft 50 of the turn table. The lower ends of the tubes rest on a stat onary plate supported by the shaft 50 be ow the lo er open end of the receivers 48.

The turn table is intermittent y rotated so as to br ng one of the re eivers 58 immediately below the funnel chute 45 at the t me a tube 28 is droppe therethrou h so that the tube w ll come d rectlv into the receiver and wi l rest with its lower o en end on the fixed plate 5!. As the turn ta le 48 rotates about the center of the shaft 50 each receiver 48 is in turn brought over a cut out port on 52, Fig. 10, of the plate and drops downwardly.

An end ess chain 53 for conveying the tubes into and through and out of an annealing furnace 54, Fig. 1. (two su h chains be ng shown by way of example, only one of which is described). is arran ed to pass beneath the cut out art 52 of the plate 5 I.

The chain 53 is pro ided with upwardly projecting posts or rods 55 at uniformly spaced distan es and the speed of the c ain is so timed re ative to the speed of rotation of the turn table 49 that the posts come in succession beneath the space 52 at the same time interval that a new receiver 48 comes into position to discharge its tube. A tube, therefore, falls downwardly over the upward part of the post 55 until its shoulder rests upon and is supported by the upper end'of the rod, which is preferably provided with a widened part or head 56'.

The chain 53 is trained about supporting sprockets such as the sprocket 5'5, Fig. 9, sup ported on a vertical shaft 58 on which is fixed a'driving gear 59 which is driven at a speed in proportion to that of the extruding machine so that a post 55 will advance one space by the time a tube is extruded and discharged to the conveyor mechanism.

The gear 59 is preferably continuously driven and gives a continuous linear speed to the chain 53. An intermittent or step by step rotation is transmitted from the gear to the turn table 49 by means of a spur gear 68, Figs. 5 and 9, meshing with the gear 59 and carrying a crank disk Bl Attached to a pin 52 on the crank disk BI is a link 63 joined at its opposite end to a crank arm 64 and rocking freely on a shaft 65 which extends upwardly to and is pinned to the turn table 49.

Fixed on and rotatable with the shaft 55 is a ratchet wheel 51, Figs. 5 and 9, which is engaged by a pawl 58 mounted on the rod 64, with each rotation of the disk 6!, therefore, the ratchetwheel 61 may be advanced one notch and the turn table 49 rotated a distance equal to that between the successive receivers 48, thus bringing a new receiver above a new post at the proper timed sequence.

To admit the tubes 20 to the funnel 45 at the same rate of speed at which they are supplied from the latter to the receivers and thus to avoid jamming, a stop and release mechanism is provided on the supply table 35 and is operated from the turn table 49. For this purpose a number of cams 69 are mounted on the upper surface of the turn table 49, there being one for each receiver.v

A roller (0 supported on the lower end of a cam rod H which is slidably mounted in a bracket 12 depending from the table 35 is arranged to ride on the successive cams and to lift the rod 7| for each cam surface 69.

The upper end of the rod 1| bears against an arm of a tilting lever 13 rocking on a hori-- swung to and from the position shown in full and broken lines.

When the lever 13 is in the position shown in full lines the tube 29 rolling down the inclined plate 35 will be stopped by the arm I5. As the lever 13 rocks to the broken line position the arm 15 passing downwardly in the slot releases the tube which then rolls until it is stopped by the arm 76 which is now in its uppermost position. As the lever 13 rocks back, to its full line position the arm 15 is lowered out of the path of the tube and the arm 15 swings forwardly to give the tube a slight impulse downwardly. At each rocking of the lever 13, therefore, a tube is released-to roll into the funnel 45 and thence to be deposited on one of the posts 55 to be carried into the annealing furnace.

After the tubes have passed through the anaware;

- nealing furnace *theyiare carriedbyth'e chain to the position indicated at J9,-Fig. 1.

To transfer the tubes from. the chain: to the trimming machine in proper position to be trimmed and processed by the latter, they are lifted free of the chain and turned and fed top downwardly into a funnel 88, -Figs. 11 and 12. To lift the tubes 28 from their respective posts 55 each post-is provided witha'fixed collar 8| somewhatbelow the lower end of the tube and with an annular plate or washer 82 -which is slidable vertically on the post.

As the chain approaches the funnel 88 it passes between spaced supports 83 and 84 which at their upper ends carry upwardly inclined rails 85 and 86 which extend upwardly from a level below that of the collar 8| to a level near the upper edge of the funnel 80 and are spaced sumciently close to engage the washers 82 which therefore ride upwardly on the rail as shown in Fig. 11 to a position near the upper ends of the posts 55.

As these washers ride upwardly on the posts they engage and lift the tube 20 to the position shown in Fig. 12. As the tubes reach the upper level of the rails 85 and 86 their upper ends pass in fro t of a ast of a r dire t d frfim a no le 81 which topples the tubes head foremost into the funnel 80 from which they drop through an inclined chute 88 terminating in approximately horizontal position above a conveyor belt 89 so as to deposit the tubes transversely of the belt so that they may be engaged by one of a succession of transverse cleats 98.

The belt 89 passes about an idler drum 9|, Fig. 12, and a driven drum 92, Fig. 15, and in passing over the drum 92 deposits a tube on an inclined plate 93 (similar to plate 21 of Fig. 3) which in turn delivers the tubes to an up ardly inclined belt 94 trained about a driven pulley 95 and two idler pullevs 96 and 91. The belt is provided with transverse cleats 98 which support and carrv the tubes upwardly and over the pulley 96. As the tubes pass o er the pulley 96 t ev are delivered onto an inclined delivery plate 98 which in turn delivers t em to the trimmer I08.

In order to facilitate t e sliding of the washers 82 on the rails 85 and 86 the u per ends of the latter are provided with side plates IOI and H12 to form an upwardly opening channel in which are spaced ball bearings I03 on which the successive washers 82 ride smoothly. In this way the tubes are lifted with a minimum vibration to a hei ht that the may be blown sidewise and slid foremost into the funnel 88.

Through the above invention the tubes as they are extruded from the extruding machine are automatically placed on the chain in position to pass through the annealing furnace and as they emerge from the annealing furnace are removed from the chain and placed in position for action by the trimming machine.

Through this apparatus there is no necessity for touching the tubes which are hot when they are delivered by the extruding machine, due to the mechanical working they have undergone, and also when delivered from the annealing furnace.

Also the invention avoids the necessity to grip the tubes or apply any pressure to them that might distort their thin walls.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Apparatus for placing collapsible tubes on upright transfer pins which comprises, an inclined table over which tubes may roll in sucfc'ession, a funnel having an elongated endextending transversely of said table at the lower end thereof and having a tripping bar in the upper part of said funnel to engage the upper end of each tube and to permit the lower end to fall downwardly to bring said tube to upright position, a turn table below said funnel having receivers positioned to align successively with the delivery end of said funnel as said turn table is rotated, a stationary plate below said receivers having a cut away portion, a chain hayingupwardly extending pins in spaced intervals posi-r tioned to pass in succession below the cut away portion of said plate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 which also comprises a timing means between said chain and said turn table to bring said receivers and said pins synchronously to said cut away portion of said plate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 which also comprises a feeding means to permit said tubes to roll singly over said table to said funnel in timed sequence synchronized with said turn table.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 which also comprises a.continuous drive for said chain and a ratchet and pawl driven from said chain drive to actuate said turn table intermittently.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 which also comprises a rocker having arms that move alternately in spaced positions into and out of the path of tubes rolling down said table and cams mounted on said turn table to rock said rocker synchronously with the movement of said receivers.

6. Apparatus for mounting collapsible tubes in upright position on a conveyor which comprises, a funnel having a transverse trip bar at its upper end, means for supplying collapsible tubes in horizontal position to said funnel in position to engage said tubes near one end to permit said tubes to turn downwardly to upright position through a funnel, a receiver for said tubes below said funnel and a conveyor mechanism below said receiver and means for releasing saidtubes from said receiver to said conveyor in timed synchronism with the movement of said conveyor.

7. Apparatus for feeding tubes to a conveyor mechanism which comprises, a conveyor having spaced elements to receive said tubes, a continuous drive for said conveyor, a receiver to receive and hold said tubes in upright position, means to deliver tubes intermittently and in timed sequence from said receiver to the receiving elements of said conveyor, a funnel above and delivering to said receiver, mean for supplying tubes in horizontal position in timed sequence to said funnel, said funnel having a trip element to engage said tubes near one end to cause said tubes to turn downwardly to upright position to said funnel.

8. Apparatus for feeding and conveying collapsible tubes which comprises, an inclined table over which said tubes may roll horizontally in succession, means for supplying tubes to said table,

a rocker having a pair of arms positioned to project alternately and in spaced position on said table to permit a tube to pass with each rocking of said rocker, a funnel positioned to receive tubes from said inclined table and having a trip ele-- ment to engage said tube near one end to permit said tube to fall to upright position in said fun nel, a conveyor below said funnel and having tube receiving and carrying elements at spaced intervals and receivers movable in succession to a position below said funnel to receive tubes in upright position'and to a position above the tube receiving'elements of said conveyor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 having a drive for REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 Bates Sept. 25, 1877 Prince Nov. 7, 1905 Jenkins Oct. 5, 1909 Popov Sept. 12, 1933 Newman Mar. 5, 1940 Spalding June 6, 1944 Baumann June 20, 1944 Pond Aug. 8, 1944 Popov June 19, 1945 Maynard Feb. 8, 1949 

